Extra Time and Exam Access Arrangements: How Your Child Can Get Support in Exams

When my friend's dyslexic son was granted extra time for his GCSEs, she was hugely relieved, and slightly baffled about how it had happened. It was not automatic, and it was not a favour; it followed a specific process with clear evidence behind it. Access arrangements can genuinely level the playing field in exams, so it is worth understanding how they work. Here is a clear guide.

What Access Arrangements Are

Access arrangements are adjustments to exam conditions that allow a candidate to show what they can do without being disadvantaged by a disability or specific learning difficulty. They do not give an unfair advantage; they remove a barrier. They apply to formal exams such as GCSEs and A-levels, and they are governed by the rules of the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ), which the school must follow.

The Main Types

There are several kinds of access arrangement, granted according to a candidate's assessed needs:

• Extra time, commonly an additional portion of the exam duration, for candidates whose needs mean they process or work more slowly
• A reader or reading software, for candidates who struggle to read exam material
• A scribe or speech-to-text software, for candidates who struggle to write
• Rest breaks, allowing the clock to pause, for candidates who need them
• A separate room, a prompter, or modified papers, depending on need

Which arrangement is appropriate depends entirely on the individual candidate's needs and the evidence for them.

The "Normal Way of Working" Principle

This is the part that surprises many parents, and it is crucial. Under JCQ rules, an access arrangement generally has to reflect the candidate's normal way of working in school. In other words, extra time or a scribe is not something a child can simply be granted for the first time on exam day; there should be a history of that support being used and needed in their everyday education. This is why raising needs early matters: the arrangement in the exam should mirror what the child normally relies on to learn and to be assessed.

The Evidence Required

Access arrangements need to be justified with appropriate evidence, which the school gathers and holds. This typically involves an assessment of the candidate's needs by an appropriately qualified professional, together with evidence of the normal way of working. The school's SENCo or exams officer usually coordinates this. Because the rules are specific and set by JCQ, the school leads the process, but you can and should be involved and informed.

How Timing Works

Arranging access arrangements takes time, so it is not something to leave to the last minute before exams. The assessment and evidence-gathering need to happen well in advance, and the arrangement should already be part of the child's normal support. If you think your child may need access arrangements for their GCSEs or A-levels, raise it with the SENCo early, ideally long before the exam year, so there is time to assess needs and establish the normal way of working. Leaving it late risks an arrangement being refused simply for lack of time or established evidence.

What to Do

• Talk to the SENCo or exams officer about your child's needs and whether access arrangements may be appropriate
• Do this early, so the normal way of working can be established in good time
• Ask what assessment and evidence are needed, and how the school will arrange it
• Make sure the support your child needs is actually used in class and in school assessments, not just requested for exams

Check the Rules and Keep Track

Access arrangements are governed by JCQ rules, which are updated periodically, so the school's exams officer is your authoritative guide, and it is worth checking the current JCQ guidance. For SEND support more broadly, SENDIASS and IPSEA can advise, and as England's SEND system is under reform, check gov.uk and IPSEA for the current position. Because the process runs on deadlines and assessments well before exams, My School Agent can pull the relevant school communications into a daily briefing and shared calendar, so meetings and deadlines stay on track. Get the conversation started early, and access arrangements can make sure your child's exam results reflect what they truly know and can do.